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Dear Covenant Friends,
Today, only a sliver of moonlight lit the pre-dawn sky. Mercifully, the midges that have recently covered our cars, homes and porches were still sleeping. Most of them anyway. I heard a buzz above my head as we walked along and knew the morning light would reveal a cloud of insects. Despite my annoyance, I these tiny, harmless bugs are a strong sign of a healthy, thriving Lake Erie ecosystem- food for migratory birds and trout.
Walking in the dark, I feel an affinity for the familiar strangers along the way. This time of year we are all waiting for first light- the Amish builders constructing a home on my street, the gardener who works in the yard I so admire, the runners and walkers in bright clothing, the woman waiting with her friend for the RTA bus, the young father with the baby in a stroller, and the grounds crew at the beach when we finally arrive to an orange horizon at water’s edge.
We are all workers tending something- a construction project, a garden, our pets and children, our relationships, our health and sanity. Growing up in a working-class family, I learned the value of hard work, the rewards of tending to something that matters. When Jesus talks about workers in the vineyard, I do not resist the humble title.
I think we all need something or someone to tend. And as annoying as tending to work or to people can be sometimes, it is what we are meant to do. To care for each other. To love each other. To tend the earth. When our work and care-taking changes in some way, perhaps due to a death, a job change, retirement, graduation, a health condition; we can feel the loss of someone or something that our hands and our hearts have tended. We may go through seasons when we need God to tend to our weary souls.
These past few Sundays, we have been in the vineyard with Jesus, hearing parables set amongst vines and grapes, workers and tenant farmers. It’s important to stay connected to our source of life in God, and to remain connected with each other too. Please talk to one of the pastors if you need help tending a stronger connection to God or our faith community. We are here for you and with you...co- workers in God's vineyard.
Peace,
Pastor Jessie
pastor@covenantweb.org
October 8, 2026
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